Céu Do Marisco Em Portugal
It was a classic Portuguese sight: Fishermen in the seaside town of Cascais hauling back lobster traps and trawl nets after bringing in their catch. This coastal tableau confirmed what I had already known for several days.
Portugal is quite simply seafood nirvana.
The realization began to dawn on me on my very first night in Lisbon, At a late night dinner at the Time Out Market, I sidled up to the counter at Marisquiera Azul and joyously tucked into a bowl of insanely fresh clams, doused in garlic butter...
They went down so easy. And, sopping up all the sauce with a hunk of crusty bread just added further glee to my evening repast. Fork down, I suddenly spied the kitchen's myriad of crustaceans, all kept on ice and at-the-ready. Tempting. Should I order up more? Giant head-on prawns perhaps?
It was a close call, but ultimately I abstained. It was only my first night, after all. Quite literally, I thought to myself that there are more fish in the sea.
Boy, was I right.
There was a business lunch in the swank Chiado district at Aprazivel, where I laid waste to a mighty helping of a traditional Portuguese dish called Bacalhau à Brás...
...fluffy scrambled eggs with chunks of silky bacalhau - salted codfish - and matchstick potatoes.
Then there were the stores filled, top to bottom, with cans of sardines. And, there was a trip to the headlands beach mecca of Peniche, which allowed for a memorable lunch, featuring the most delectable grilled octopus that I've ever encountered...
...in this case a whole octopus, tentacles charred to perfection, plated alongside migas - a delicious cornbread stuffing perfumed with garlic, tossed with hearty white beans and herbs.
But the ultimate seafood experience was had at the end of my stay. At the suggestion of a local colleague, I snagged a reservation at a Belem district restaurant called Nunes Real Marisqueira. I think this picture says it all...
Tiger shrimp, gamba do Algarve, oysters, crab, and so much more.
It was a pescetarian dream come true - no lobster traps or trawling nets necessary. Thankfully, though, I had a credit card handy and the restaurant was kind enough to provide a bib, as well as a seafood mallet.
So, it should come as no surprise that I stand by the name of this post - which loosely translates to "Portugal is Seafood Heaven."
If heaven is real, the angels are most certainly hanging out by the pearly gates, indulging in a platter of shellfish from Nunes. And then, the next logical question for me has to be: Where do I get my hands on a halo? Or, at the very least, when can I get my sweet self back to Portugal?